Prince Harry’s legal battle against Rupert Murdoch’s News Group Newspapers (NGN), the publisher of The Sun, is expected to take a crucial step forward in January 2025. The Duke of Sussex has accused NGN of unlawful information gathering. The accusation list includes phone hacking and privacy violations. He is not alone to accuse but former Labour MP Tom Watson is in the line too.
The allegations that have come up have a timeframe of 15 years, from 1996 to 2011. This was the time when journalists and private investigators allegedly targeted Harry for scoops. The accusations also include the now-defunct News of the World. NGN, however, has strictly denied committing any such crime and stands strongly by its point.
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On November 15th, 2024, the High Court granted Harry’s legal team access to previously withheld emails between senior NGN staff and members of the royal household. According to Harry’s lawyer, David Sherborne’s argument, these communications, which had been selectively disclosed earlier, are crucial to the Duke’s case.
Sherborne stated that NGN’s prior submissions were incomplete and “cherrypicked,” because they had excluded key documents. Justice Fancourt agreed. He ruled that there was “sufficient justification” for the emails to be disclosed. To quote him, There is a credible case for saying a full picture is necessary in the interest of justice.”
Harry’s lawsuit is part of a larger legal challenge against NGN that has claims of illegal activities, including phone tapping and private information gathering. Thirty-nine other claimants have resolved the dispute. There are awesome names in the list, such as Spice Girl Melanie Brown, Alan Yentob, and Alfie Allen. Harry and Watson are among the very few who are still putting on a legal fight.
This trial is expected to be one of the most contentious, as Harry’s allegations have drawn enough public and media attention. There hasn’t been any hide and seek ever from the Duke of Sussex as he has always remained clear about his point. He has stated these battles are about holding the press responsible for unethical actions and practices.
In his recent interaction with NYT columnist and Dealbook founder Andrew Ross Sorkin in New York City in the first week of December, he discussed his ongoing fight for mental health awareness and pursuit of justice.
Even in an interview with ITV’s Tabloids on Trial, Harry opened up about the strain these legal battles have put on his personal life, particularly his relationship with his family. Yeah, that’s certainly a central piece to it,” he said, adding, “But, you know, that’s a hard question to answer because anything I say about my family results in a torrent of abuse from the press
Harry resigned from royal duties in 2020. Following this decision, he moved to California with his wife, Meghan Markle, and their two children, Prince Archie, 5, and Princess Lilibet, 3. There were recent rumors about their divorce, but reportedly, the couple is maintaining a professional split.
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“I’ve made it very clear that this is something that needs to be done. It’d be nice if we did it as a family. I believe, again, from a service standpoint and when you’re in a public role that these are the things that we should be doing for the greater good. But, you know, I’m doing this for my reasons,” Harry explained.
As the trial is scheduled for January 2025, Prince Harry’s legal battle against one of the UK’s biggest media giants will attract a lot of eyeballs. For now, Harry seems determined to hang on and win the case, not just for himself, but for the “greater good” he believes justice can bring in.